Syria Solidarity UK delivered a letter to Boris Johnson at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office In London last night. In the letter, they demand urgent intervention of the Foreign Secretary in defence of civilians currently being exterminated in a Syrian city of Eastern Ghouta.
Ghouta, with its 350,000 inhabitants, is under siege since 2012. It is the longest siege in modern history. Currently, it is under heavy bombardment by Assad, Russian and Iranian forces. Chemical attacks, barrel bombs, surface to surface missiles, airstrikes and brutal shelling target those who are besieged. The area is also subjected to a blockade, meaning that for months the citizens of Ghouta are deprived of essential needs such as food, medicine, or water. What’s more, the fleeing refugees are not allowed out.
The people of Ghouta are being exterminated. Since Monday this week, 322 have been killed, 76 of which are children. Moreover, 9 hospitals have been bombed, rendering them unusable.
Amr Salahi, one of the activists who took part in the protest organised by Syria Solidarity UK, commented for Freedom News: ‘What’s happening in besieged Ghouta is mass murder plain and simple. Every town, every hospital, every bakery is being targeted and hundreds of people are being killed every day. There are some very simple things that the UK and US governments can do to stop it, when the UN remains unable to act. Expose the Russians by publishing the flight details of the planes which are killing people. Announce and carry out airdrops of food and medicine to the starving people in Ghouta. Summon Russian ambassadors and announce tighter sanctions. But doing nothing while the killing is going on is to collude in these crimes. We call on Boris Johnson to break his silence’.
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You can follow updates from Eastern Ghouta here.
Photo: Syria Solidairty UK
